Captain's Journal
by Fernand J. Sea
Summary: In this work of fiction, a Starfleet Captain describes his first mission through his journal. This is one of my very own, 100 percent original, stories.
1. Journal

Captain Michael's first mission

_**Captain's Journal, Chapter 1: **__**  
**_  
I wonder if I should be glad I'm a different person now. The good thing is; nobody I know seemed to be upset with me getting the modification that my body needed for space travel. After boarding my brand new Galaxy Cruiser named "Danoga", I began to thank god for the chance to see space. Though I already met the crew I would be working with a few weeks earlier, I didn't think there were any surprises for me left before I got to the bridge; but how wrong was I, it seems that, at the last minute, one of the assigned members was re-assigned somewhere else, so I found my gorgeous ex-wife as the new pilot. For a second, I thought "Dammit", but then again, I began to think if there was any reason for me to still resent her for just leaving without even leaving a note. Anyway, after un-docking with the Battle station "Chimera", we looked upon the stars on our monitors and the feeling was indescribable. Our first assignment is to go to the first star close to our home planet, we had named it the Kosanova system, Since our scientists said the probes indicated signs of intelligent life there, we we're being sent to make first contact.

This was a big deal for me, I don't know why but sometimes I just like to describe things in my journal. I guess anyone could say that I'm not like any other person, well, not anymore anyway. It's just that my ship, my GC as I like to call it, is really quite something else. It can go at the speed of light, so we'll be at the Kosanova system in four and a half years. I don't know why I'm saying this but still, I want to do it anyway. Since the Danoga has long range scanners of about a light year of range, it's always wise to go with this strategy the scientists came up with. Frankly I don't know much about engines and stuff, but at least I have enough knowledge to figure out my way around the engine room. Anyway, the strategy is to start the journey on a set course, then, some time afterwards, come out of light speed to check the area ahead with the long range scanners. That way we won't run into anything that's out there. Funny how light speed is really, to us is so fast, but if you could look at something traveling from one star to another it might look like a snail's pace. So it's slow enough to travel, but too fast if you have something in range and you want to stop, or change course to avoid it. Well, I'm gonna go to bed now, wait a sec, I'm so new to the modification, sometimes I don't remember that I don't need to sleep anymore. Ha-ha! Oh boy, anyway, I should be getting acquainted with my crew now so I'll be leaving. End recording.

(As you might have noticed, the captain says he doesn't know much about engines. He's just so damn modest that it almost got him in trouble a few times.)

_**Captain's journal, chapter 2**__**:  
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It's been about a year since the mission started, wow, I can't believe it's gonna be 3 and a half more years until we get to Kosanova. I haven't even had time to feel bored, every time we have to start the light speed engines we have to go to stasis. I really wish there was a faster way to travel but, until the scientists can come up with something then... Then again, I might be able to help a friend of mine with his research after I get back, there's so much that I want to find out after we get to the new system. To think that it took me less than a year to get familiar with my crew, I mean, there aren't many of us on the Danoga but still, with these many stop and go things, I have found time out of stasis to get to know them at least a little. I still can't get over my best friend Ferguson being here as the chief engineer. Although I consider all the crew as a family now, I hope I can make more friends after the mission.

I still get the feeling that I need to sleep and eat even though my body no longer needs to; I guess my mind hasn't gotten fully used to this whole deal yet. Even though we captains and some of the diplomats on the crew have special modifications that allow us to eat things, eating is no longer necessary to sustain us. I wonder if we'll have to eat whatever the beings at Kosanova offer us, we don't want to offend anyone after all. Although we also sent probes there to make some kind of initial contact, we haven't made physical contact with them. First contact; I wonder how will they see us, I wonder how we will see them, will they be human? Will they be humanoid as well? I have no idea of what to expect when we get there, but I will sure treat them with respect, if they're as advanced as us or more, then they deserve it. Now that I think about it, what will my little girl think of all this? Is this gonna be good for earth? Can we teach these being something? Could they teach us something new? Well, gotta go to the bridge to check our route, I don't want no asteroid to be getting in our way or something. I trust my ex-wife Sophia won't be flying us into a star, ha-ha. Aside from keeping my journal and getting a few boost of energy every now and again, there's nothing much to do in my quarters. I guess there are so many things to take care of on a starship that we can't afford to take lunch or bathroom breaks.  
End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 3:

God, where should I begin? This whole deal was really tough on me and the crew but fortunately, we got through it. I guess I should start from the moment we received that distress signal, it was a few moments after coming out of light speed to check on our route. Let's see, after resuming our positions, we had to begin scanning for possible obstacles in our route to the Kosanova system. We were about to resume our course when we discovered a distress signal not far from where we were. We were passing close to a solar system where, apparently, there was no star. The planets, which by the way, there weren't many of them, were all frozen and dead. The signal was coming from an asteroid field in the system. I decided to check it out just in case help was needed. According to regulations, a transport bearing a rescue team can consist of only 5 members. I, being still as human as I remembered, thought that 5 were just too few. So, I decided the rescue team should have been of at least 8 people; that would be 4 guards, instead of the usual 2; 2 doctors instead of the usual 1, my first officer Santiago and myself), with that settled, we boarded a transport and headed towards the place where the signal was coming from.

When we arrived at the field, our transport collided with what seemed to be an invisible rock. This was because the asteroid was made from an unknown black material, so black that we didn't see it until it came that close; even our instruments couldn't detect the darn thing. Fortunately for us, the shields absorbed most of the impact. The signal suddenly was dying out; we barely made it there before the signal completely disappeared. The place the signal came from was a huge asteroid in the middle of the field; it also had a bunch of those black rocks surrounding it. I was piloting so I managed to calibrate the sensors to detect these unusual rocks. With that out of the way, we landed inside the asteroid where we saw a big space ship encased within the asteroid. We were pretty shocked to see that, but we had to scan the ship before we decided to enter. After the scans revealed 10 fading life forms and nothing much inside, we decided to go in after sending a few messages to the ship, mostly because we didn't get a response. The inside of the ship was like nothing I ever saw before; it didn't have stairs, doors or buttons you could operate by hand. Instead, it had tube shaped corridors, things connecting to rooms that had the shape of a strainer, and tiny levers and sensor pads could be visible all over the vessel. I was thinking what kind of beings could possibly be here; I was gonna find out soon enough. The life forms we encountered were not showing any signs of being awake, they were dying, slowly, but surely, they were. With the help of my crew we managed to restore the life support system of their ship. Although at first we didn't understood how the darn thing worked. Unfortunately, by the time we got it working, some robots sprung from the walls and attacked us. It was a very difficult situation to get out of, since they threw a lot of things at us; from gas, to some sort of bullets, to laser beams. Now I know that if we still had our human bodies, we would have never stood a chance against them. After a tough battle, and thanks to our cunning and strength, we managed to beat the robots and save the life forms on the vessel. After learning their language thanks to my telepathic first officer, we learned how some beings from another world not far from here came and managed to accelerate the decaying process of their sun. Afterwards they killed most of their people (if you can call them people). Finally, some managed to get away to other systems, but this group was still here when the next wave of ships came. They encased their ship inside this asteroid and hoped they'd die out here. Well, at least we had made a couple of friends along the way. Geez, I almost forgot, I have to go check the ship's systems. I guess my mind wanders off too often.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 4:

Finally, we're only a light day away from the Kosanova system; this is our last stop before we get there. I already sent a message to the Kosanova planet to alert them of our arrival, we're moving out as soon as they answer. This gives me some time to relax and play for a while with my friends. By now I even managed to become friends with my ex too. Can't believe it took us 2 years to finally patch things up. Most of that time we were in stasis so, it might have taken us less time in a different situation. So far the trip hasn't had anymore problems since the incident with the Farluvian, wait; it just hit me now that I didn't get the chance to mention their species name in the last journal entry. Imagine that! Anyway, the Farluvian must be on their way to a new system right about now. They also had similar Light speed engines as we have. I wonder if the people at Kosanova have something different or something similar. I'll take a break for now because; I just don't have anything else to add to my journal at this point. Let's see, I finished checking every last system on the ship, everything looks normal. Aside from that; is there something else I should have done by now? I guess not, frankly I can't wait for the response from Kosanova. Will they be eager to meet us? What will they expect from us? I wonder what kind of protocol we will have to follow, since I already sent them our etiquette protocols. Can any of our actions be insulting to them? I hate to think that something we'll do during the meeting will result in chaos. Well, I better not think about that now. I'll resume the journal once I receive notice from our space neighbors.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 5:

My god! I finally received the message back from the Kosanova system. They seem glad that they'll be able to meet us soon, since the message was in video, I know now what they look like. I sent them a video message of my own so they know what I look like as well. It's kind of comforting to know that these people are human as well. Now that we have confirmation of the landing coordinates at the planet, we'll be resuming course soon. Although I hope it's not a trap, these modified bodies of ours should help us deal with anything. The ambassador said that they have new technology for us; maybe we can make a trade with them. There's something that's troubling me though, the ambassador also said that they have made contact with two other planets already; their technology allows them to reach other planets faster than with the tech that we have. If the Bandosian, as they like to be called, didn't know much about the farluvian, did any of the other two species attack them? I'm dying to know the names of the other two systems, on earth we have named those the gamma-centaury, which is at 7 light years away and the Ceti-Alpha star, which is at 7.2 light years away. Sometimes I wonder if there are other planets out there that are like earth, This Bando planet certainly looks like it. I've been studying the Bandosian files that were sent to us and I'm finding lots of things in common.

Well, after finishing with this I'll give the order to move on. As much as I want to meet the Bandosian I have to learn their manners if I want to cause a good impression. I didn't spend all those years at the academy for nothing; I wonder sometimes what I would be doing right now if I didn't study so hard. I'm sure I'd be anything but a writer; I wouldn't know where to start. Since I have nothing else to say I guess I'll just finish reading this report on the Bandosian culture. I wonder if they already finished reading the ones I sent. The crew already has copies of all this, I hope they study them carefully. We didn't come all this way to embarrass ourselves.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 6:

Let's see, where should I start? So much has happened since I got back to the Danoga. It feels weird after everything that's happened, especially now that the Xanderians are threatening us with war. I knew something was wrong after the reports of a spy inside the Danoga. That was only moments after I got out of the meeting between myself and the Ambassadors from the Kaaav, Xander and Bando systems. We talked about a trade of technologies because we have developed a modification on our human bodies, we also have a type of weapon they don't have, and I don't think they have any Telepaths on any of their worlds, so they asked us if they could do some research on the subject. They on the other hand, have technology to send messages in seconds through a complex method. I have to study that because right now I have some idea how it could work; Frankly, I don't want to get into it right now. So, they also seemed to have some sort of technology that allows them to travel faster than the speed of light, not at great speeds though, it's more like they found a rift through time and space, it's like a new dimension they explained. There, light years become days, so it's much easier to travel between the stars. As they explained, it was a joint discovery between the Bandosian and the Kaviar people. I still can't get over how they call themselves, my first officer asked at the meeting if they preferred to be called Caviar, with a "C", I noticed he was kidding but without letting the ambassadors know it. We were surprised when the ambassador told us how impressed he was with my first officer's intuitions. Ha! If he only knew! Anyway, should I describe each of these cultures? I think so, well, I already mentioned the Bandosian culture so I'll skip them.

The Kaviar people are human as well; the differences are that they are all short, kind of like what we call "little people" back on earth. This is a culture of, as my first officer said, Dwarves. They are incredibly strong, intelligent, but they seem a little, as the Bandosian ambassador said to me in confidence, greedy. This is a proud race, they value combat above all else, even material possessions. They're also proud of their achievements in the field of science and respect power and anyone who has lots of it. The Xanderian however, are very similar to the Kaviar, the differences are that, they seem to be a lot greedier than their neighbors. These people, at least the few I saw, were not human. Either they were at some point and then they found a way to modify their bodies, kind of like us; or they were always that way, which I doubt. They seem reluctant in sharing technology with anyone; they are a powerful race who apparently, is even older than the two neighboring systems. Life on their planet probably began a lot earlier than on Kaaav or Bando. Aside from those small differences, these beings are quite alike the Kaviar. The reason for the war threats is because the Xanderians demand that we surrender our technology, but I told the ambassador I can't make those kinds of decisions on my own. So, the Bandosian have given me, maybe because the Xanderian had something to do with it, one of their sub-space traveling gizmos, as well as one communicating device; this is so we can return quickly to earth and discuss this matter of the trade with the leader of the Republic. Then we can communicate with the Xanderian leaders and let them know of our decision. I hope I can persuade the Xanderians to back off a little before I have to go back.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 7:

Damn! After a long time I'm finally in my quarters being able to record my journal. I always update my log every time something happens but, my journal isn't as important so, I gotta work on it only after I've accumulated enough material. Let's see, oh yeah! I was gonna say that after I managed to talk to the ambassadors a bit more, I was granted some relief. Although I no longer had to tell the president of the republic about a deadline, I still had to present him with the trade proposal. I doubted he would go for it but, after he considered it with the advisors, he accepted. I wasn't surprised with the decision, what surprised me the most was that, the people in the government wanted this trade to happen almost as much as the Xanderians.

Five days had passed since I left the Bando System, I was on my way to the Danoga to leave earth when, I was being called upon. I got so used to having a comm. attached to my ear that I almost forgot I had it in there. For a second I even thought someone was behind me. That was hilarious; anyway, turns out my kid went to the IBS just to see me. Wait a sec, what if someone hearing or then again, reading this journal is kept wondering what IBS means? I guess I should mention that back in the days, the international space station was upgraded to IBS, After all countries fused together 15 years ago, they decided that an Independent Battle Station should be available. From there, without having to ask earth control for materials or anything at all, the IBS should have plenty of modules that take care of every need. The astronauts would obviously had to have modified bodies in order to be allowed up here. That way no food would be required on board, no bathrooms and no oxygen either.

Although there have been two versions of the IBS so far, the second one is not as beautiful as the first one. Geez, I'm getting off the subject here. Anyway, I went back to the Bando System, I still can't get over the fact that we got there in just 4 and a half days, thank god that there were no problems on the way. So, after getting through to the ambassadors at the United Planets Council, I went and met with them. They were quite pleased to see the cargo I had for them, there were lots of files and data on our tech but, they didn't have the necessary devices to read the data crystals, so the republic also sent the computers needed for that. Language is not a problem with the telepath translators on the crew.

I waited for some time to see what they had to say about the data crystals, they immediately handed over their files on their technology. Although I received all the data from the Bandosian ambassador, I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong. EXCUSE ME SIR, BUT WE NEED YOU ON DECK! I'm on my way Sophia! Oh boy, I wonder what could it be this time, thank God they built my quarters next to the bridge.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 8:

Dammit! I should have seen it coming. Moments ago, we were barely beginning to examine the files given to us by our so called friends when Willow, my science officer, discovered a virus implanted in the data. By that time we already lost our sensors and long range scanners. The virus, although new to our technology, adapted quite well and was spreading fast through all our systems. Although most of my crew was suspicious of the Xanderians, I had my doubts about the Bandosian as well. I immediately ordered the hangar doors to be opened while they were still operational, I wanted some fighters to be out there just in case we got attacked. I managed to see through the bridge's window how many warships were headed our way. Meanwhile, Willow was working on a way to eliminate the virus, in the mean time; I had to maintain the Danoga in one piece. Weapon systems failed after taking out a few of the warships but, there were more of them out there than we had fighters. Our fighters are robot operated, so there's no chance of risking the lives of valuable pilots. There are a few fighters reserved for members of the crew, as well as bombers for some others. Back then, I didn't want anyone out there.

Since I detailed the battle in my log, I see no reason why I should mention the entire thing in my journal. The point was that, Thanks to Willow, we managed to come out ok; the Danoga took some heavy damage but still... I had no idea there was a small fleet heading for earth at that very moment. That was the reason for the virus they implanted on our Galaxy Cruiser. They didn't want us to know they had dispatched ships to our planet. Afterwards, I had a chat with the ambassador and demanded to see the leaders of their world. They apologized to me and explained that the Xanderians are pretty much in control of everything around. Although I still didn't trust these people, they were the ones who told me about the Xanderian strike on earth. So, I decided to give them a break. They also gave me the idea of using the Danoga's light speed engines once it entered subspace. That way we would get to earth in less time than the Xanderian Warships. Back on earth, we have a few battleships and a planet protection net of satellites as well. What I was a little concerned by though, was the surprise attack. Could earth be prepared for one? This got me thinking, since we're the first generation of humans that got modified we still think somewhat the same as always; how would the next generation think?

We got to earth before the Xanderians, thankfully. I alerted the president of the attack and we were expecting it. After it was all over, the republic had to protect the Bandosian people for helping us out against the Xanderians. The republic is sending, not only one of our most powerful battleships, but also, they added some new integrants to both the Danoga and the Battleship Agamemnon. I'm not sure if I should mention what these were in my journal, after all, who knows if someone might miss-use this. Anyway, a war was just starting out and we didn't start it. Although we don't want to finish it, it looks like we might have to. I hate this whole thing; I hope we can avoid this. I'm gonna have to go to the Xander system while the Agamemnon goes to the Bando system. I hope I can talk to the leaders of the Xanderians so they start behaving like a civilized culture.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 9:

I guess I should start by saying that, I was prepared for almost everything while on route to the Xander System. I have to admit that I didn't expect them to have mines near their orbit, or we would have been blown out of the sky by their defense system. I did plan the place where we would come out of sub-space; it was near the last planet of that system. At that point I was to hail them, I also sent out a few probes to the vicinity of the planet just to watch them explode. These guys are seriously paranoid or something. Apparently, the leader answered my hails and, we started discussing our planet's situation. I explained to him that we didn't want anything to do with war. I didn't know that at the time but, turns out that me saying that; was a sign of weakness of our race. The leader of the planet suddenly cut our chat short. By that time we sensed two ships coming out of the station orbiting Xander. I ordered shields to be raised just before we saw warheads coming out of those ships. Since I leave the flying to Sophia, I ordered my weapons officer known as Jerry, to begin launch of our own missiles. The battle went on for more than a few minutes. Their shields were like ours, only difference was that, it was configured to resist most laser blasts. At the same time their own lasers were configured in a way that they could pass through. Our shields however, are designed to block all types of laser shots. Our lasers are built outside the shields protecting the ship, so, we can fire at will but they are also exposed to enemy fire. Our missiles can also go through the shield.

What we all have in common is that once we activate shields, the shield can be visible over the ship. As soon as you see the ship glowing, you know they're there. Anyone could tell that the ship in front of you is planning something if its shields are up; so, you better raise shields too. After the battle, which by the way left the Danoga quite weak, I was allowed to meet the leader of the planet. After discussing where the meeting should take place, I went to meet him. I went assuming the worst, but thanks to not being human, I had little to fear in case this was a trap. The Danoga has 25 transports to use for escaping if the ship's in any trouble. Their ships have none; the Bandosian leader explained to me that it is because the Xanderians believe that escaping is for the weak and pitiful. Since they don't know that we don't require oxygen to live, maybe it gave us some advantage. We decided to have a meeting in mid-space, both of us using small ships. They used one of their shuttle-crafts as they call it, while we used one of our Transports. Although I'm not very fond of these people, I had to do something to prevent a war. That meeting went horribly wrong, I did expect some kind of double-cross but what happened was ridiculous. After the two ships docked and the doors opened, the air inside our transport got sucked into their shuttle-craft. Apparently these people need air to breathe, so we had to have some in our transport ready for them. The air got sucked in because there was no atmosphere inside their shuttle-craft. I guess they expected us to suffocate in there.

So, after it all settled, we undocked the ships and Sophia had to return our transport back to the Danoga. But before that, Willow, my science officer, saw that something was wrong and sent a few fighters to the rendezvous point. They arrived almost at the same time the Xanderian station was launching torpedoes against our transport. Our shields weren't up, Sophia was about to raise them when, a huge blast shook our transport. Turns out that one of our fighters collided with the torpedo to save us. Good thing no one was piloting it. After we got back to the Danoga, I decided to head back to earth. Now here I am, waiting for the senate to decide if we're going to war. I hate this situation but, I failed miserably. I though I could actually reason with these people. CAPTAIN! WE HAVE RECEIVED RESPONSE FROM THE SENATE, THEY HAVE DECLARED WAR. THEY REQUEST TO SEE YOU ON DECK.

Thank you Sophia, I'm on my way.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 10:

Well, I just came back from talking to the senate members. Since I have to stay here on earth, might as well record my journal. After I'm finished with this, I'll go see my daughter Jennifer. She's so beautiful, I wish I could be with her all the time but I got things to do. Come to think of it, maybe Sophia went to see her before my meeting with the senate. This whole deal is getting out of hand; with my home planet declaring war on the Xander system I've seen new developments around here. For example, I had no idea that our neighboring red planet of Ares had more than just a colony. It seems that, in the four and a half years that I was away, they finished mining off one of the planet's moons. I was wondering where that other moon had gone to. What was it called again? I think the one that's left is called discord, if memory serves me right. Maybe the one missing was discord, gee, I wish I could remember. Anyway, now it seems we have more battleships than before. I won't say what number exactly just in case. Some stayed here while the rest went away to make the Xanderians back off.

I hope their strategy pays off but, most of all, I pray for everyone's safety. I think our government foresaw a conflict and they started developing new technology and more ships in the time I was away. It's good in part because if they hadn't, earth might be just a memory by now. I'm gonna have a talk with the president tomorrow; he seemed eager to find out more about the ship that attacked the Farluvian race. I have to admit that I didn't see anything like it when the Danoga fought the Xanderian ships a while back. Maybe that kind of vessel wasn't from the Xanderians. Or maybe they just use it as a last resort, if that's the case; I hope our battleships can handle it. Well, gotta go see my kid or else she might get mad at me for not keeping my promises.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 11:

Just finished with my log, since I still have time I should add something to my journal as well. Let me see, I hung out with my kid who I adore, Sophia tagged along but I didn't mind. She's changed since we split up, I am glad to see that she's just more than a pretty face now. After leaving those two beautiful ladies behind, I went to meet with the president right before dusk. The president insisted that I get the mind upgrade that he suggested I took before leaving to meet the so called Kosanova System. I didn't want to at first because; I told the president that I wanted the journey to be a challenge. Besides, I didn't want to intrude on anyone's mind with the telepathic upgrade that some of my crew members have. Anyway, with the war coming and all, the president feels I should have a telepathic ability. Since I couldn't get out of it apparently, I had to go with his "suggestion". It seems now I have to go to the Xanderian home world, although we have a lot of battleships now, we're gonna need every ship available to make these Xanderian bastards accept peace. As I'm told these past few days, we have lost a few ships because of the new technology these people have developed.

I did mention a while ago that our shields are pretty visible after they're activated. It seems the new shield technology they developed makes their shields invisible. We have guessed that they expected to trick all of our ships with this advantage. As some have told it, these new shields can take more hits than ours. This is gonna make things harder, I'm not worried though, I'm sure something good will happen if I come up with a good strategy. I will have a chat with one of my contacts at the Bando system before I leave. Maybe I can find out something useful, hmm, anyway, I have to debrief my crew right about now. I'm so glad we're not human so nobody can call in sick.

End recording.

Captain's journal, chapter 12:

Where should I start, oh yeah, I went to the Bando system to have a talk with the friends I made there. After they gave me some info on the Xander system, I had to leave abruptly. The president sent me a message saying that the Danoga had to take a detour to the Kaaav system. It seems some of our scouts found an odd ship leaving the area just as they arrived at the system. They didn't manage to fully scan the vessel but at least they had a picture of the ship for me to see. It turns out that the ship in question is the same type that attacked the Farluvian. Now we knew for sure that the Kaaaviar were up to something along with the Xanderian. So, I went to the Kaaav system to have a chat with their government. I had to go escorted just in case, so my ship met with a few others of our own as I was arriving at the system. I met with the Battleship "Agamemnon" and with the Destroyer "Caligula", I know the captain of the Agamemnon. I think his name is Fernand Aivaras, I have no idea how to spell that last name, and it's so weird. Anyway, the captain of the Caligula is a woman; I think her name is Susana Tianguis. I keep hearing only good things about the woman, she's very well coordinated, she knows what she wants and goes for it; it seems she's also single. Too bad she's not looking, HAHAHA! Oh boy, I really have to get serious now.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I spoke with the president alone, and I learned that the ship belongs to the Xanderians. The Kaaaviar just follow their lead, after a quite long chat we left the system towards the Xanderian home world. I had to go down to the planet to rescue some Xanderians who don't like their government; they wanted political asylum according to what I was told by the president of the Bando planet. I did talk one last time to the president of Xander but, we ended up at a stand off, he got angry and sent ships after us but, to no avail. They did manage to cripple the Agamemnon though. After a while, I decided to go down to the planet in a transport to pick up the people that wanted asylum. I took 2 transports with me and by the time I got back, the mysterious ship that attacked the Farluvian made its appearance. The battle dragged on for almost an hour, I have to admit, that ship's tough, but I came up with something alongside Captain Susie and, I'm happy to say that we managed to win. Too bad the Agamemnon was destroyed but, no worries because its Captain and most of the crew escaped in time. I still have to go down to the Xanderian capital of Xin, to pick up the rest of the refugees while the stand off is still up. The Caligula has my back but, this time I'm going in with the Danoga itself down there. I doubt that something can go wrong while my crew and I are there rescuing people. I still can't get over the name of the capital, Xin; I used to imagine it would have been Xanderia or something like that. Anyway, I'm so glad the war is almost over, as soon as the rest of our ships come here the stand off will be over, so I can finally go back to my home and kiss my beautiful daughter Jennifer.

End recording.

As you must remember cadet, the details are a little blurry but, as far as historical records show, the xanderian home world exploded before our backup ships could arrive. The shockwave almost destroyed the Caligula; it completely tore down its shields. The Danoga was disintegrated in the blast, thankfully most of its crew got out in time using transports and shuttles, which got crippled by the shockwave too. The Danoga could not take off and nobody knows why. Sophia says the captain made the ultimate sacrifice once he knew of the Xanderian device that they had in order to blow up the earth. The captain couldn't stop it so he must have detonated it by accident. Anyway, I hope this helps on your report but remember, you can't mention specific numbers of ships and any of the person's names in the journal or else the senate might have our heads.


	2. Epilogue

Captain's Journal: Epilogue Chapter 1: The Danoga's crew & friends of the captain. Sophia Hill stone, Pilot's entry:

Oh my god! What should I say about Michael? They asked me to cord about 5 minutes only but I'm finding it difficult to do so. This seems as easy as piloting a fighter through an asteroid field. (sighs) I might as well tell you that our relationship began when we joined the academy years ago. God this is hard! Ok, umm, (Computer paused, then resumed) When I first saw him I didn't really know what to expect but after I got to know him I realized he was a cool person. I guess what got to me was that he was confident, but still was amazingly humble. He rarely gave credit to himself for the good things he did. I remember it got him into trouble one time at the academy, fortunately, nothing bad happened. I do remember there was a time at the NASA institute when his humility got him in serious trouble. He told me that he wanted to be a part of the staff in charge to study the alien messages we received. But in the "auditions" for it, he undermined himself by saying he might not be well studied enough. Ha-ha! That little thing almost cost him the job, but he wasn't worried. He said someone from his staff at the institute stepped forward and helped clear up the misunderstanding. He was always like that; I can't believe he's really gone. When I found out I wasn't eligible for the pilot job at the Danoga, I remember I felt like giving up. But then I received a call from my daughter Jennifer saying Michael was gonna be its Captain. I knew I had to tell him how sorry I was for leaving them. That I missed them terribly and that I was now ready to make amends. I moved heaven and earth but finally, I was accepted to take the helm of the Danoga. It took us a while, but we managed to get along again. Then we got to the alien home world, he seemed happy to be able to make contact with other species. So many things happened; some of the aliens we met were hospitable and trustworthy, while others were evil and dishonest. In the end, I never thought he would die in the line of duty, I mean, I know a captain is supposed to do so but… Oh well, now is too late to moan. Although I am saddened by him gone, I am also happy to have met him and made a beautiful daughter with him. Of Captain Michael I can only say this: He was a model for all generations to come and I hope there is another one like him again in the not too distant future. End recording.

Miles Ferguson, Chief engineer's entry: 

I knew Captain Michael from way back to the academy days. We used to enjoy ourselves very little, since our studies didn't leave room for much else. That used to drive me insane but, not him. He seemed to enjoy studying more than he did hanging out with me and some girls. Anyway, I'm gonna try to do my best to pay tribute to him after all this. I'm considering putting my two cents into this new Republic they keep talking about. I know it's not much but at least I know I'll be doing my best. Rest in peace Captain, I hope we haven't lost our soul along with the modifications to our bodies, because I hope to see you again after I die. End recording.

Willow McCarthy, Science officer entry: 

I can tell you a few things about the captain, I know I didn't really know him like the rest of them but, at least we had some good moments together. This is my umm, what should I call it? Yeah! My salute to him; from the moment I met him at the crew assignment to the moment that planet exploded, I knew he was one of those men who were just unique. I vow, for as long as I live, that the memory of the captain will never die. I will join the efforts to create a republic where things like this will not go overlooked. I think this whole event would have been prevented if only things would have been a little more organized. I never thought those people would go to such lengths to eliminate us humans. But now things ended up this way and we can't change them. I hope things turn out for the best after the Bandosian people join our efforts for the new republic. End recording.

Santiago Lion heart, first officer's entry: 

I met the captain after being assigned to the Danoga. I didn't make much of the guy at first, I mean, who would have? But after you got to know him, you realized he was a really good guy. He was straight, brave and intelligent and he even had a good sense of humor. The man had everything to make a girl go nuts. I have to tell you right now, I hate gay men, I have no problems with lesbians but that's another story. Maybe everyone else will tell you he was a fun guy to be with and all but, I gotta say: He wasn't funny all the time like you might think. But he had a knack for knowing when to be funny and what to say. I remember the time I asked the Kaaaviar ambassador if the name for their people was Caviar. He-he, the ambassador was amazed at my perceptive nature but the captain, ha-ha, he got that I was making fun of them a little. I didn't mean to but it slipped. Thank goodness the ambassador didn't notice. It doesn't matter if anybody says something bad about the captain; I'll always remember him as one of my best friends. It's just a damn shame I didn't get to know him as much as his closest friends. End recording.

Susana Tianguis, Captain of the destroyer Caligula: 

I can hardly believe he's not with us anymore. I met Michael since way back in college but we didn't interact much at first. It was only after we entered the academy that we really got to know each other. It is true that we got close in the last months of college but to me, I began to love him after we began the first year at the academy. He showed me how we shouldn't neglect our studies, though I already knew that. Still, he never made me miss classes or anything related like other boyfriends who only cared about sex or stuff like that. Gosh, I'm not sure if I should be saying all this. Anyway, we always knew where we would end up in life. We both wanted to be captains of the first starships and we made it. I still don't understand why he had to die this way. I've been asked by Sophia and some others to join the efforts to form a new republic where we may just be able to prevent things like that. I think it is a fine idea and I will do everything I can to make sure things like these never happen again. End recording.

Fernand Aivaras, Captain of the battleship Agamemnon: 

I did hear god things about Captain Michael before we met on the battlefield at the Xanderian home world. I didn't know him as much as Susana or his own crew but, in the short time I had to talk to him I realized he was a good man. He was very smart and he coordinated the attack plan very well. I was amazed at how easy he overcame the obstacles before we arrived to supposedly save his ship. I thought we might loose the Danoga before we arrived. I had no idea the type of technology the Xanderians had and I feared the worst. Thank god its Captain was smart enough to devise a strategy that would enable him to stand up to the punishment and still be able to defend against the enemy ships. I have to say, that man was a real example for all of us. I doubt we'll ever meet another one like him in a long, long time. End recording.

Johnny McAllister, 1st engineer's entry: 

I met the captain before the mission, but I thought he might be one of those Captains you hear about. You know the kind, bossy and such. But after I met him a few days after we launched, I knew I misjudged him. The Captain was very respectful to all of us in the engine room. It was our job to keep the ship together while out of stasis. Although the ship could maintain itself to a point, it was our duty to keep an eye on everything else. The captain used to let us know how much he appreciated our efforts even though we did only half the work of a regular crew. I spent a lot of years on the battle station Chimera and while I was there, I did a lot of work. Well, not only myself but, some of the other engineers as well. On this mission however, we didn't have to do as much work because everything was automatic. The captain always checked in on us and made us feel comfortable whenever we weren't. I want to remember a special moment in battle when the captain motivated me to do my best. It was back when we heard the red alert and we didn't have any clue as to what was happening. I thought I signed on for a first contact mission! That was what some of us were saying as the ship shook for the first time. We noticed a virus in the ship's system and we were preparing to take care of it. Miles who, by the way, is the captain's close friend, got in touch with the bridge and along with the science officer coordinated a way to get rid of the virus. None of us noticed some small robots outside the ship trying to sabotage our engines. However, I did notice something wrong outside and I decided to go check it out. Since we all have communicators with us and can quickly go outside the ship without having to put on suits, I got out there with a defensive weapon and got rid of the pests. But not before I sort of panicked because I had never been in outer space before. Well, at least not without a suit anyway. Somehow the captain took notice and he talked me out of my panic. Thanks to him I managed to get the job done and now that he's gone I'm gonna do my best so that he won't be forgotten. End recording.

Duke "Flip" Anderson, Doctor's entry: 

I barely knew the captain so I can't say a lot of things about the man. However, in the short time we shared, I found that there was more to him than met the eye. He was a deep thought individual, he cared about people in a way that few people do. I did see the captain having a hard time in deciding to forgive his ex-wife for abandoning him and his daughter. We later found out she did leave a note but that's another story. What stroke me as odd, was the fact that he was a modest person. He would have never admitted that he had knowledge of medicine. He always liked to give credit to others rather than himself. That was a quality I rarely saw in any human being. I did see that quality in the alien being we encountered trapped in that asteroid but again, that is another story. I have been asked to join the efforts to initiate a protocol for a new republic concerning the matter of how to handle evacuation plans. I still believe the explosion on the Xander planet could have been avoided. Let's hope more people act like him in the future. End recording.

Daniel Stevenson, Crewman's entry: 

Out of all the crewmen on the Danoga, I am the one in debt with the captain. I was the one accompanying him on the last evacuation procedure on the Xander capital. The Danoga itself had to be brought down to the surface of the planet. Thanks to the modifications made by collaboration with the Bandosian people, the Danoga was able to have an antigravity device. We do have things like that on earth but nothing that can support the weight of the Danoga. After all, that's how we can be inside the ship without any gravity or even oxygen for that matter. Anyway, out of the whole crew of the bridge, just Sophia came down the ship with the captain. I got to be there because the captain needed a crewman with knowledge for evacuation plans. I volunteered and we were on our way towards the capital. I helped out whenever I was needed; I even coordinated most of the refugees and assisted the captain with any special cases. And by this I mean children crying for this or that reason. By the end we learned that there was a threat to the Danoga by a faction of the Xanderian government. We checked it out and it turned out to be a bomb, it was supposed to be used to destroy planet Earth with it but instead, they were going to use it to kill us and their own people. The captain had to stop them any way he could so he took me and Sophia with him to the building where the bomb was being activated. The rest of our crew was scrambling to get the refugees out of the Danoga and into transports. We feared the Danoga would be useful for disposing of the bomb. There were no transports left, only a few fighters. There were enough for all three of us so, the captain was confident we could actually stop it. Although we were careful not to play in their hands, I was the one who accidentally triggered the bomb's detonating device. I offered to stay and try to defuse it but the captain wouldn't let me. I shouldn't say anything else, except maybe the captain was unlike anyone I have met. I will always have a great deal of respect and admiration for him. I'll make sure he won't be forgotten. End recording

This is a formal entry from someone who is not a member of the Danoga's crew. Jonathan Coleman, President of Planet Earth's entry: 

I first met Michael at the NASA institute back when I first heard of the alien message. I know there is more than one message but there was one that caught our attention. These aliens sent us some kind of greeting message and we were excited about it. I remember having a meeting with all members of the government just to agree how to handle the news. Most of us agreed to see the message at NASA and see what they had on it. The head of the team was this man called Michael. When I first saw him you could tell there was more to him than a good haircut and a nice suit. I spent quite some time with him and his team watching the message after they translated the language. I was impressed with the man's knowledge; he really knew a lot of things for a man his age. After that, I had to give him my vote so he could be in charge of the mission destined to meet these aliens. He's the first man to ever get the rank of Captain so quickly. After he got back from what we called the Kosanova system, I urged him to get a modification necessary for telepathy. He tried to argue with me just like before the mission started but I got tough with him that time. I figured he would have to have the ability to know what the Xanderians were up to. But in the end, not even that made a difference. How could he die that way? I'm still shocked by the fact he didn't make it out the planet before it exploded. I remember there was a saying, it went something like this: A captain must go down with his ship. And that's precisely what happened. I only wish I got to know him better. End recording.

Records of the Danoga's crew, by an unknown historian: 

Most of the people whose entries you see here lived long lives. They had to make sure the new republic was made possible. They didn't know it at the time but, almost half the people on Earth didn't like the new rules and regulations they had to live by once the republic was active. Factions of people started to break away from planet Earth and settled along with most Xanderian refugees on an unknown place. More on this on a separate chapter detailing the events and facts after the death of Captain Michael.

Chapter 2: The Crystal Wars and minor conflicts thereafter 

After the fall of the Xanderian Empire and the destruction of their planet, the Crystal Wars immediately ended. The Republic of United Planets was made official and there were a few incidents as a result. At first, people from Earth didn't want any part of a republic which wouldn't let them go on with their ordinary lives. For example, many people enjoyed going hunting. The new republic's laws determined that all life would be sacred and no human being had the right or privilege to kill anything. Therefore, anyone who still wanted to let's say: eat duck for dinner, still was able to do so without having to kill a duck or get a dead one. New gadgets became available for everyone called "materializers". These devices could make food appear by selecting the kind of food you needed. However, not before you entered something into the device first and foremost. For example, let's say you want a roasted pig, you would have to give the machine any kind of materials you had at your disposal. The more materials you give, the larger the quantity of food you can get. These were the first kinds of materializers. But that was just one of the reasons for the people leaving Earth. Anyway, after the first group of pirates was established, there seemed to have been quarrels among them. The pirate group broke up into two factions. So now the republic had to deal with two pirate groups. The most barbaric kind, called the Conglomerate Pirates and the most pacific kind called the Confederate Pirates. There were always conflicts with the Conglomerate Pirates but they rarely won. Even Confederate Pirates joined the republic on occasion against them. All in all, we managed to come out good after the fall of the Xanderian Empire. The Bandosian are our major allies and the people from the Kaaav system have joined us as well. Not all of us embraced the republic as some are scattered between the two pirate factions. It is now the year 2100 and we haven't had any major wars since.

Chapter 3: The whereabouts of the two officers in the story: About the Commander (he's the one who provides the lieutenant AKA "you" with every chapter of the journal): 

The Commander has been a part of the high command ever since he was accepted by both the government and the high command. He is now in charge of operations concerning diplomatic meetings and other near like businesses.

About the lieutenant: 

He/she (whoever read this journal) is a direct descendant from the captain and wanted to research anything about the first contact between humans and aliens. Although the only evidence of the captain's mission that remains is his journal, it hasn't been in the possession of your family since the captain's death.


	3. The Lost Entries

Captain's journal, lost chapter. Part 1:

November 21, 2032.

------------peeep peeeep peep peeeeeeep---- computing data...peep peeeep

Access granted to file #347562933

It feels great to be out of the academy and to finally be able to get a job interview at the IBS. I always wanted to see the battle station on the inside; I guess all my years of study have finally paid off. I wonder who will I meet and what will I do once I get there? Since I have some extra time I'll begin writing a journal, the thing is, will I have time to update it often or just when I have pretty much nothing to do? I guess it doesn't really matter, anyway, what should I put in my first journal entry? I know! Hmm, let's see. Today I will meet someone from the IBS to discuss entry requirements. I hope I qualify as it is, although I have heard rumors of some new technology being developed just for space travelers. I wonder what could it possibly mean? Anyway, the IBS has just been completed and the last astronauts that were working on it came back a couple of days ago.

Let's see, I have my ridiculum vitae here, he-he, I got this term from a friend of mine. I guess with all the things I put in the curriculum it could get a bit ridiculous to someone reading it. Aside from that, I have some great memories from the academy. I'm even considering asking my friend Sophia to marry me. Too bad things with Susana didn't work out, she was soo cute. But if she wants to dedicate more time to being a starship captain then I have to respect her wishes. I mean, I felt great when we started to go out but then we couldn't see each other as often because of our studies. I remember Sophia wasn't like that, she didn't care too much about studying, she did like it, but not as much as Susana or I did. We want to be captains so much that we had to stop seeing each other so it could happen. Now our careers are right in front of us. I think Sophia wants to be a pilot because you don't have to know as many things as the captain position requires. I think she's gonna make it; she's soo good at piloting ships.

Well, gotta go to that interview, I hope nothing goes wrong. At least I had enough time to start a journal.

End recording.

Lost chapter, part 2:

Wow, I did many things today. I got up early in the morning and I woke up with an eyelash in my eye. I hate when that happens, why hasn't anyone figured out a way to prevent this? Who knows, with everything I learned the last few years maybe I can get together with some scientists and come up with something myself. Anyways, while having breakfast I remembered I had to call Sophia before leaving the house. We got engaged right after finishing college, I thought she looked great in her toga. Although my parents say I wasn't thinking straight when I proposed to her I think I can prove them wrong. Well, I couldn't wait for my job interview at NASA so I didn't have a long talk with Sophia in the morning. I was so surprised that I found a friend of mine at the waiting room at NASA. Susana is always looking for ways to expand her horizons, she's sooo cool. Sometimes I think she's smarter than me in many ways. But then again, my friends always tell me to cut that modesty of mine aside. What do they know anyway?

I remember we talked a while we were waiting; she told me she wanted any job at the IBS. She wanted to start at a good position so she could begin to learn everything. I don't care either what job I get there, so long as I can get in touch with my fiancé. I heard she applied for a job flying shuttle crafts. So I guess she will be knocking down the IBS's door regularly with passengers. According to a rumor, the IBS is completely self-sufficient; it doesn't need to get supplies from earth. They do accept the visit of scientists every once in a while and new recruits every now and then. After having a most pleasant conversation with Lieutenant Susana on the waiting room, I met general Starke. He conducted my interview and let me know of the requisites to be accepted at the IBS. I can't believe somebody came up with a way for astronauts to be better equipped for outer space travel. After I told him I would have to think about it, he told me I should take a job at NASA in the mean time, so I accepted. I guess I will start tomorrow morning but, I keep wondering how Susana did on the interview. Did she get a cool job at the IBS or did they give her a job at the NASA institute like me? I guess I'll find out tomorrow since I don't have her number.

End recording.

Lost chapter, part 3:

So, it's been a few months since I started my job at the NASA institute and everything is going well. During that time I've seen great things, from the disappearance of a star that was located 2.5 light years away to some advances in technology. It seems we also have received a signal from outer space, it seems alien in origin but before anything can be done with it, we still need to figure out who will integrate the team that will be examining it. I hope I get chosen for that assignment, the subject of aliens has always fascinated me. Things are going good at my home too. I married Sophia and we're about to have a baby girl. I still don't know what to name her but; I guess I still have time to think about it. Right now I expect thing to go well in the last stage of my project. It was chosen by the NASA institute for development and now we're almost done. Since the probability of exploring deep space is closing, I came up with a shield generator to help the ships ward off hazardous things like micro-asteroids or other sort of things that could crash against the ship. My concept for a shield is supposed to let everyone of us know that the shield is in place. The shield itself has a certain coloring that lets us know when the shield is covering the ship. This will be of great help for the IBS or any other vessels, since the government spent a lot of money just to make the station out of the strongest alloys available. Now it will be possible to low prices a bit and still be able to keep going out there. Well, gotta go back to work, I had a little time to kill so might as well add something to my journal. If things go the way I want, I doubt I'll be able to come back and keep adding things to my journal. I do want to be picked as one of the members of the team that will authenticate the so-called "alien" message.

End recording.

Lost chapter, part 4:

June 20, 2043.

I've been so busy these past years, it has been great working here in NASA and I was even promoted to captain. As head of the research department, I can proudly say that all of our projects are going great. Let's see, I got picked as one of the leading members of the team to study the alien message, it turned out to be from a star 4.5 light years from our planet. We call it the Kosanova star system; so far, we also discovered transmissions from that planet which NASA knew about ages ago. However, it seems that for security reasons, they didn't want to reveal them just yet. Anyway, we found out these aliens have several things in common with our own society. For example, it seems they are human as well but we're not certain. Some members of the team claim these beings are possibly humanoid, but not human. A few other similarities come from some of their TV shows or movies. What we all know and love as the "Lord of the Rings" from J. R. Tolkien, they have something similar called: Master of the pendants, if I recall correctly; but the most surprising part is that the story was created by a woman named Jennifer Trollkin. Although it is 25 similar, it's not the same thing. I've seen most of the episodes and it looks like a great story.

I also managed to work on a new type of engine that will allow us to travel great distances in a short while. It's a prototype of a light speed engine but it's still has some problems. According to my calculations, a human won't be able to travel in a spaceship fitted with these engines. Although I heard my friend, general Rachel Stevens said it was not a problem, I still have doubts. She even told me that space travel wasn't the same after the Apollo 13 incident. I wonder what she meant by that.

I also had some time to care for my daughter Jennifer, she lives with me in the base and she is ten years old now. Wow! Time does pass one by rather quickly. It seems just yesterday when I found out Sophia left me to take care of our daughter alone. It still bugs me that she didn't leave a note for us. What was she thinking? Maybe my parents were right about her, I just didn't want to listen. Damn, I don't want to talk about this anymore. But what should I… That's right! I guess I should mention that now that I've finished all my work here at NASA, General Rachel has offered me a job at the IBS. It seems now I will find out what she meant by a major change in space travel since the Apollo 13.

_Beep, beep!_ Hmm, should I pause the recorder? Nah, let's see who it is first.

Computer, what is it?

_It's General Rachel sir. She wants to talk to you about the IBS job._

Ok, hmm, wait for my signal and then let her through. Gee, I don't know if I should let the recorder register this conversation into my journal. After all, if I'm killed or something then this journal should be helpful in the investigation of my death. Nah! Who am I kidding? I must have been watching too much alien TV lately and it's rubbing off. Ha-ha!

End recording.

Captain's journal, lost chapter part 5:

June 21, 2043.

What is a human being? What is a human being but the collection of emotions, memories, its upbringing, scars, both physical and emotional, its sense of right and wrong, its likes and dislikes, instincts, etc. we are unique because of our humanity, yet for some reason, some of us would like to shed our humanity to become more technological. Is it wise? Is it selfish? Is it denying who we are? And by that, do we deny ourselves the privilege of evolution? The thought that someday we will evolve into a supreme being? I'm not sure what path should I walk, but I am sure of this: I will open my mind to every possibility; maybe one of them will be right for me. Until then, I'm going to keep doing my job as well as I can, for I am responsible for many of my fellow human beings.

End recording.


End file.
